County · South Dakota

Brookings County, South Dakota

Brookings County, South Dakota. Brookings County had 37,635 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 9.5% since 2020, faster than South Dakota (+5.5%). It holds 36 places (9 cities, villages and boroughs, 23 towns and townships and 4 census-designated) and 7 census tracts. GEOID 46011.

Brookings County is the county of the Brookings, SD micropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

37,635

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 34,375 · ACS 2020-2024: 35,353

Median household income

$70,064

±$6,292 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $75,081

Median home value

$264,600

±$11,840 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $257,400

Median gross rent

$901

±$83 (90% margin)
South Dakota: $946

How many people live in Brookings County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 34,375 residents in Brookings County. The Census Bureau estimates 37,635 for July 1, 2025, up 9.5% since 2020, faster than South Dakota (+5.5%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 35,353 over 792 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 +338 (34,676)
2021→2022 +709 (35,385)
2022→2023 +442 (35,827)
2023→2024 +987 (36,814)
2024→2025 +821 (37,635)

Brookings County in South Dakota. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Brookings County	South Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	35,353	907,428	+752
Households	13,798±279	365,544	+902
Average household size	2.33±0.05	2.39	no clear change
Housing units	15,179±63	408,584	+616

Brookings County's population since 2000

From 28,220 in 2000 to 37,635 in 2025: up 33.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

2000 Census 28,220
2005 (estimate) 29,485
2010 Census 31,965
2015 (estimate) 33,861
2020 Census 34,375
2025 (estimate) 37,635

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Brookings County?

Brookings County holds 36 places: 9 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places), 23 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 4 census-designated places. The largest is Brookings with 25,355 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Brookings County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Brookings	city	23,377	23,948±22	$63,493	$265,500	16.9%	100%
Volga	city	2,113	2,408±422	$78,828	$240,000	6.1%	100%
Medary TownshipGEOID 4601141780	township	1,421	1,452±347	$107,583	$312,400	6.7%	100%
Aurora	town	1,047	1,444±285	$95,952	$234,600	2.7%	100%
Elkton	city	755	977±232	$69,688	$185,100	26.7%	100%
White	city	537	484±119	$67,639	$128,800	4.1%	100%
Sterling TownshipGEOID 4601161620	township	414	345±194	$144,318	$558,800	0.0%	100%
Brookings TownshipGEOID 4601107620	township	409	617±243	$118,529	$288,900	4.9%	100%
Volga TownshipGEOID 4601167740	township	363	124±123	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Sherman Township, Brookings CountyGEOID 4601158460	township	268	195±94	$61,886	not published	0.0%	100%
Alton TownshipGEOID 4601101260	township	265	150±84	$92,813	$288,500	18.7%	100%
Aurora Township, Brookings CountyGEOID 4601102820	township	257	134±83	$68,646	$285,400	0.0%	100%
Lake Hendricks TownshipGEOID 4601135380	township	239	192±65	$86,750	$621,700	12.5%	100%
Argo TownshipGEOID 4601102100	township	227	84±40	$114,327	$302,900	9.5%	100%
Oslo TownshipGEOID 4601147860	township	212	246±194	$80,595	not published	0.0%	100%
Afton Township, Brookings CountyGEOID 4601100380	township	212	129±53	$88,333	$320,800	0.0%	100%
BruceGEOID 4607740	city	210	290±103	$55,000	$114,100	6.2%	100%
Eureka Township, Brookings CountyGEOID 4601120140	township	206	82±48	not published	$434,000	4.9%	100%
Oakwood TownshipGEOID 4601146440	township	202	246±136	$117,656	$281,000	0.0%	100%
Trenton TownshipGEOID 4601163980	township	188	249±204	$113,750	not published	0.0%	100%
Bangor TownshipGEOID 4601103460	township	181	224±159	$150,833	$226,200	0.0%	100%
Parnell TownshipGEOID 4601148540	township	179	131±65	$86,250	$342,300	0.0%	100%
Lake Sinai TownshipGEOID 4601135580	township	169	156±147	$76,392	$230,800	0.0%	100%
Laketon TownshipGEOID 4601135620	township	163	149±83	$160,721	$342,000	0.0%	100%
Preston TownshipGEOID 4601151900	township	136	60±43	not published	$418,400	11.7%	100%
Richland Township, Brookings CountyGEOID 4601154460	township	134	177±86	$120,250	$415,400	11.3%	100%
Winsor TownshipGEOID 4601172260	township	126	190±124	$125,789	$395,200	0.0%	100%
Elkton TownshipGEOID 4601118740	township	102	80±60	$63,281	$348,100	15.0%	100%
SinaiGEOID 4658900	town	99	215±135	$56,875	$89,300	1.9%	100%
Oak Lake TownshipGEOID 4601146340	township	84	109±57	$133,125	$277,700	0.0%	100%
BushnellGEOID 4608820	town	71	66±36	not published	$90,000	7.6%	100%
Rolland ColonyGEOID 4655684	CDP	53	0±10	not published	not published	–	100%
Lake PoinsettGEOID 4635480	CDP	501	348±82	$96,875	$493,200	5.2%	10%
Arlington	city	915	920±122	$71,296	$144,300	19.2%	1%
Norfeld ColonyGEOID 4645390	CDP	9	0±10	not published	not published	–	100%
Newdale ColonyGEOID 4644800	CDP	6	0±10	not published	not published	–	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Brookings County?

The median resident of Brookings County is 28.0 years old; 21.1% are under 18 and 13.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 4.6%. 6.2% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Brookings County	South Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	28.0±0.4	38.0	+1.0
Under 18 years	21.1%±0.1 pts	24.2%	–
65 years and over	13.4%±0.2 pts	18.0%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	4.6%	4.8%	+1.5 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	87.5%±0.3 pts	79.8%	−2.7 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	1.0%±0.4 pts	2.1%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	3.3%±0.3 pts	1.4%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.8%±0.2 pts	7.1%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	2.8%±0.6 pts	4.4%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.3%	–
Born outside the United States	6.2%±1.2 pts	4.0%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	9.7%±1.4 pts	7.1%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	4.8%±0.7 pts	7.9%	–
With a disability	9.2%±1.1 pts	12.5%	–
No health insurance coverage	5.1%±1.1 pts	9.0%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	97.1%±0.9 pts	93.2%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	42.5%±3.2 pts	31.9%	no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	14.3%±1.9 pts	10.0%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	7.3%±1.6 pts	3.2%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Brookings County earn?

Half of Brookings County's 13,798 households earn less than $70,064 a year (±$6,292), against $75,081 in South Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $71,548 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 13.2% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Brookings County	South Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$70,064±$6,292	$75,081	no clear change
Mean household income	$89,400±$3,794	$98,527	–
Per capita income	$35,295±$1,429	$40,550	no clear change
People below the poverty line	13.2%±1.9 pts	11.9%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	4.8%±2.7 pts	14.3%	−6.8 pts
Households receiving SNAP	4.4%±1.3 pts	7.9%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	91.2%±1.8 pts	89.6%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Brookings County?

Owners occupy 57.2% of Brookings County's occupied homes and renters 42.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $264,600 by its owner (±$11,840). The median renter pays $901 a month including utilities, and 30.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Brookings County	South Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$264,600±$11,840	$257,400	+$44,306
Median gross rent	$901±$83	$946	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	30.9%±5.7 pts	30.4%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,735±$73	$1,680	–
Owner-occupied homes	57.2%±2.8 pts	68.6%	no clear change
Housing units	15,179±63	408,584	+616
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.0%±0.3 pts	0.8%	–
Rental vacancy rate	5.0%±2.3 pts	6.0%	–
Single-family detached homes	57.9%±2.4 pts	66.9%	–
Mobile homes	6.1%±1.4 pts	7.2%	–
Built 2020 or later	2.4%±0.7 pts	2.3%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	16.3%±2.2 pts	15.8%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is Brookings County building?

Builders took permits for 357 new housing units across Brookings County in 2025 (141 single-family), 9.5 per 1,000 residents.

2019 237 units
2020 144 units
2021 176 units
2022 127 units
2023 128 units
2024 208 units
2025 357 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Brookings County get to work?

73.9% of Brookings County's workers drive alone and 11.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 14.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.7%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Brookings County	South Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	69.0%±1.7 pts	67.2%	–
Unemployment rate	3.7%±0.9 pts	2.9%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	73.9%±2.5 pts	77.0%	–
Carpooled	9.2%±1.7 pts	8.3%	–
Public transportation	0.5%±0.3 pts	0.5%	–
Walked	3.9%±1.2 pts	3.1%	–
Worked from home	11.1%±1.8 pts	9.7%	+5.8 pts
Mean travel time to work	14.3 min±0.8	17.8 min	no clear change

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What are Brookings County's census tracts?

Brookings County is divided into 7 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $44,402 (Tract 9589) to $92,091 (Tract 9588.03).

Census tracts of Brookings County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 958646011958600	Elkton (8%)	4,500	4,598±332	$86,905	$245,100	$840	9.0%
Tract 958746011958700	Volga (10%)	5,366	5,441±309	$82,885	$275,900	$1,095	4.2%
Tract 9588.0346011958803	Brookings (73%)	5,677	6,465±528	$92,091	$309,900	$1,428	5.3%
Tract 9588.0446011958804	Brookings	2,709	3,241±544	$72,500	$171,200	$1,171	28.5%
Tract 9588.0546011958805	Brookings (62%)	3,849	2,721±434	$49,358	$161,600	$918	28.1%
Tract 958946011958900	Brookings (93%)	6,471	7,147±612	$44,402	$235,200	$789	24.2%
Tract 959046011959000	Brookings (93%)	5,803	5,740±474	$63,402	$286,900	$803	10.8%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Brookings County compare with South Dakota's other counties?

Brookings County's rank among South Dakota's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	5th of 66
Growth 2020-2025	6th of 66
Residents per square mile	5th of 66
Median household income	39th of 66
Median home value	8th of 66
Median gross rent	18th of 65
Poverty rate	22nd of 65
Bachelor's degree or higher	3rd of 66
Median age	61st of 66

Every county in South Dakota

Source: PlainCities ranks from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Brookings County are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.